These chocolate coconut banana mini-muffins are perfect for your kids’ lunchboxes, or as a quick healthy snack. My little boy loves muffins and so I always try to find creative ways of mixing up the flavors. One afternoon, we had very ripe bananas sitting in our kitchen counter, and you know what that means right? Ripe bananas usually mean banana breads, but this time I wanted something more handy for my little boy. And voila, mini-muffins it is!

Key ingredients in this chocolate chip coconut banana mini muffins

RIPE BANANAS. If you have been making my banana breads, I always emphasize how important it is to use very ripe bananas (like those with the brown spots on it). Why? Because, your breads and muffins would turn out more moist, and naturally sweeter. And which is why these muffins have less sugar than those you’ll find in store-bought ones, making this a guilt-free treat if you’re trying to watch your calories.

DESICCATED COCONUT. I love coconut on almost anything. I use it in tons of recipes, from my wholemeal coconut pancakes to my blueberry coconut smoothies. And it’s the perfect combo to banana, giving your muffins that nutty flavor. I also topped the muffins with shredded coconut for that added crunch.

CHIA SEEDS. Stuffing superfoods in baked goods is just genius especially if you’re trying to get your kids to eat more of those. Aside from overnight oats or chia puddings, chia seeds are very versatile and you can them in your brownies, cookies, and yes, muffins. They’re high in omega 3s, lots of antioxidants, and provide you with fiber, iron, and calcium for bone health.

EXTRA TIPS in baking moist muffins

Do NOT over-mix the batter. I’ve made dozens of muffins and have had baking disasters. From rock-hard muffins to utterly disgusting muffins that taste like sand. And one mistake I’ve been guilty of is overmixing the batter. This recipe calls for you to mix the wet ingredients either in a blender or food processor so just a few seconds of blending is enough. I also sometimes just mix by hand using a wooden spoon so I can control the amount of mixing. When you see the wet and dry ingredients combined, then you’re good to go. I sometimes still have banana chunks in the batter which is totally fine.

Measure your flour correctly. Dense muffins usually mean you added more flour than what’s needed. So how to measure correctly the flour? Don’t scoop the measuring cup directly from the container. Instead, use a spoon or fork to scoop the flour on to the measuring cup. Shake the cup gently, and then use the back of a knife to level the flour. I know it takes more time, but trust me on this, you really want to measure your flour correctly to have perfectly moist muffins.

Watch your oven temperature. If you’re not sure how hot your oven really is, use a digital thermometer attached to your oven. I use one, and it’s made a huge difference when it comes to my baking outcome. We are still renting a house now and the oven is pretty old, so I can’t totally rely on the temperature reading in the oven dial. Also, you can underbake the muffins for a few minutes and check by inserting a toothpick into it. If the toothpick comes out a little damp but not wet, it’s good enough. I usually keep my muffins in the muffin tin for another 5-7 minutes so it continues to cook after taking them out of the oven.

These mini-muffins are freezer-friendly. As the yield is about two dozens, I kept one dozen in the freezer to save for those busy days. You never know when you need a good muffin!

So now, shall we get baking?